The Chronicles of Thalia

Chapter 3- There once was a boy...

I didn't get to have another conversation with Edmund until hours later. What? Why, you ask? I was babysitting a seasick cry baby named Eustace Clarence Scrubb. Walking nightmare. Seriously, when the kid wasn't leaning over the rail hurling what little was in his stomach, he was constantly complaining and threatening to get us arrested for kidnapping.

"This whole endeavor is absolutely preposterous!" Eustace informs me, singing his hands over a thin leather notebook he seemed especially attached to. "The nerve these... These beasts have supposing -" just then the ship mounts a particular normal sized wave, and Eustace's face goes green. "I'm fine!" he assures me as he makes a mad dash for the railing. The fact that this makes me chuckles probably makes me a horrible person, but in my eyes this is true justice. He makes other people feel sick, he gets sick himself.  Either karma was real, or Edmund has somehow obtained magical powers.

Sitting on a wooden box, I swing my legs as I watch the clouds speed the sky. They were little sailboats themselves, sailing through the vast ocean that was our sky.

"You've grown up a lot." Lucy observes, sitting down next to me.

I smile, studying this beautiful young  woman in front of me. "You looked in a mirror recently?"

Lucy sighs. "Unfortunately." I frown, but before I can inquire her meaning, she changes the topic. "Edmund is growing up too. He's been tirelessly trying to join the armed forces for a month now."

This comment also concerns me. "He's not old enough."

"He doesn't care." Lucy shrugs a little. "I've tried to talk sense into him, but he doesn't listen. He's desperate."

"For what?"

"He won't say, no matter how many times I ask, it's always just: 'I need it, Lu' or 'I have to' or 'You wouldn't understand, Lucy.' He only said that last one once, though, because after he said that I slapped him."

I laugh at this remark. "Well, goodness knows he deserved it. I'll talk to him about it later."

"I wish you would, he'd listen to you," Lucy says. "But enough about your boyfriend, how are you, Lee?"

I smile, gentle Lu, as caring as always. "About the same as last you saw me. Not much goes on in my life, I'm afraid. What about yourself, Lu? Any interesting people in your life lately? Any boooooys?" I draw out the last word so it's has several more syllables than is actually necessary, as I nudge her with my shoulder. Laughing, she tucks a strand of hair  behind her ear.

"No, of course not. And even if one tried, Edmund would probably come to blows with the poor soul before I could get a word in edgewise." Lucy gives a little giggle. "It'll be the old maid life for me."

"Nonsense!" I say, swatting her arm. "When the right young man comes into your life, I will personally chain Edmund to a wall until said young man finishes courting you and puts a fine diamond on your finger."

Lucy smiles. "I appreciate that."

"Anything for you," I assure her, turning my attention back to the clouds. I sit undisturbed long enough that I assume Lu has gone away, but she's always liked to prove me wrong.

"Speaking of courtship and diamond rings," she teases, "I assume Edmund has already made his intentions clear?"

I raise an eyebrow. "His intentions of throwing me overboard? Indubitably."

"Indubitably?" Lucy scolds. "Oh, Lee, you've been spending far too much time around Eustace."

"On the contrary," the little nuisance chooses now to crash our little party, "I believe I've been a very good influence. Prior to spending time with me, she demonstrated some very offensive and reproachable manners, and I'm afraid if we allow her to spend time around these sailors, she will pick up on their foul language without even realizing she's been influenced upon."

I had to give it to the little dingbat, he had nerve. Nevertheless, that wasn't going to stop me from pounding him.

Lucy puts a hand warningly on my shoulder, Drinian wouldn't tolerate such things, so I restrain myself from beating Eustace to bits while I showed him the full extent of my vocabulary. Instead, I settle for, "Mind your own business, bugbrain."

Eustace looks properly offended, but only mutters to himself about 'uncivilized company' while he walks off, probably to write in that ridiculous diary of his.

"That boy makes me irrationally angry." I mutter.

"He has that effect on everyone" Lucy assures me. "Now let's go find Caspian. He's always good for a laugh."

We find King Cas in his quarters, laughing at a joke that Drinian obviously had not found funny. Probably Caspian's joke, judging from the fact that they were the only two in the room. Sometimes, I wondered how Susan fell for this bloke.

"Really, your Highness," Drinian says blandly, "It wasn't that funny."

"It was too!" Caspian argues. "Let's ask the girls."

"What the joke?" I ask, flopping down onto the bed.

"Well, I've got this cloak that somehow got turned bright pink. Some idiot maid probably washes it with my red one, you know how those things go. Anyway, I thought it a waste to simply throw it out, so I kept it. Now I put it on, hood up and all, and stood in the hall in front of the door, perched on one leg. When ever asked what I was doing, I just said, 'flamingo' kinda similar to a priests chant. It's brilliant." Caspian was met with silence.

"Where in the name of the Good Lord Aslan did you come up with that idea?" I ask.

"Edmund would find it funny," Lucy offers. Caspian scoffs.

"You all have no sense a humour. You need to lighten up." Caspian says, storming out of the room.

Probably to find Edmund.

Filler chapter. Again. *cries* Sorry it's taken me so long to update. It became necessary to recollect my thoughts. But not to worry, I have the next 2-3 chapters outlined, so hopefully you'll get them without waiting a month between. Keyword: hopefully. *singing* baby please no promises cos we don't keep our promises.

Upcoming: a fresh perspective.

>>Adry Grace.